DAMN! It’s about time Riley! Where the hell you been?!?

PAIRING: Lindsay/Cindy – duh
SUMMARY: Lindsay and Cindy celebrate their anniversary. But which one?
NOTES: The is a sequel to House Arrest… as requested. For Nikky and anyone else who wanted, but was too shy to ask. Couldn’t relegate it to a one-shot though. I love this Lindsay and Cindy too much!
DISCLAIMER: Women’s Murder Club does not belong to me. The characters do not belong to me. They are the property of James Patterson, 20th Century Fox Television and ABC. (Well, not anymore. Jackasses.) I have no problems with that as long as I can borrow them for short bursts and use them in pursuit of my own enjoyment. I am not trying to infringe. Though, I don’t know why anyone has a problem with fan fic. After all, it really is a compliment. If anyone wants to write fan fiction about my book, feel free.

(December 28 – Lindsay’s POV)

This was unequivocally the most ingenious idea she had ever had. In her mind’s eye, Lindsay pinned a medal to her chest and declared herself champion of all things heartfelt and romantic, rather thankful that the medal ceremony was in her mind’s eye only, because she really didn’t know if her physical body could find the strength to lift said medal. She was exhausted, she was sore, she was in desperate need of fuel and hydration… and it was total Nirvana.

Cindy certainly did know how to show her appreciation.

Lindsay’s eyes slid in silent contemplation over the relaxed features of her girlfriend’s face, even as her own body silently, but aggressively, demanded nourishment, and soon. With a reluctance bordering on refusal, Lindsay finally slid the clutchy redhead off of her chest and onto the mattress beside her. Cindy moaned lightly in her sleep and a rapid instant replay sped through Lindsay’s mind, bringing a completely filthy smile to her face.

Cindy had had no problems in falling asleep, which wasn’t exactly surprising after her hours of acrobatics. Even Olympians took the occasional breather. For Lindsay, though, sleep hadn’t come so easily. She had spent a good deal of the night lying awake, holding tight to the warm, soft body of one Cindy Thomas, and wondering what she had done to receive such karmic reward. Sure, she’d put away a few very bad people, but none that should have warranted this kind of prize. But then, what would one have to do to be truly deserving of Cindy? It’s not like she could wait around for a giant flood and to be called on by God to build an ark and save the world two-by-two. She’d just have to be incredibly appreciative of what she had, deserving of it or not.

With one last brush of thick hair off of Cindy’s forehead, Lindsay finally forced herself up and away. Staggering like she’d just pounded back six shots, she made her tired way into the kitchen and pulled a bottle of water from the refrigerator. She gulped the entire liter and tossed it in the trash, before pulling out a second liter and uncapping it. She took slower, more civilized sips while she made coffee, and finally managed to alleviate the feeling that she was going from grape to raisin in the middle of the Sahara.

While the coffee percolated tasty salvation into the room, Lindsay glanced down the hall toward the open bedroom door. Seeing no signs of life, she crept cat-like to the tiny duffel bag she’d somehow managed to slip past Cindy’s unnaturally prying eyes and keep hidden from view. She glanced over her shoulder one last time, before pulling back the zipper and revealing the few small items inside. Balancing them in her hands, she quickly scanned the room for the best hiding places and deposited the items into several different spots, hoping Cindy didn’t get too inquisitive prior to evening. Of course, that was a risky gamble. Cindy wasn’t exactly known for her ability to leave things alone.

As much as Lindsay hated to admit it, it was one of the things she loved about her. Which was rather pesky. She was supposed to find that trait annoying. But she didn’t. Not anymore. Things had changed. A lot of things had changed. She and Cindy had certainly changed. And who would have thought their trajectory would bring them here, to one year later and a place that was both solid and fragile. Because, just having Cindy asleep in the next room was something that Lindsay really wanted forever, but, in her personal experience, promises like forever rarely went unbroken. And they were always hard to get past once they cracked. If it happened this time, she wasn’t sure if she’d survive it – which meant something significant that, even a year later, made her somewhat uneasy to think about. So instead, she would just put forth her best effort to make sure that no promises were broken between them.

Coffee in a tall, cream-colored mug from the cabinet, and finally feeling completely lucid, Lindsay whipped up a batch of Cindy’s famous easy pancakes and threw them in the oven. Searching the refrigerator, she found a large container of strawberries. The resort had certainly done a fine job of stocking the refrigerator with everything she’d requested. A giant tip was definitely in order, but it was all going to be so worth it.

“Hey.” Cindy’s sleepy voice pulled Lindsay around from the counter where she’d set to work on her slicing and dicing.

Fingers dripping red, Lindsay turned around. Cindy stood before her in the kitchen in a long white button-up, not too buttoned up, with bare legs and feet, looking superbly disheveled and sexy beyond verbal description. The several drops of strawberry juice that fell from her hands onto the hardwood floor in reverence pretty much summed it up.

“Aren’t you cold?” Lindsay swallowed down her instantaneous desire to pounce along with the lump in her throat.

“Not yet,” Cindy responded.

Lindsay turned back to the work at hand, and her back on Cindy. She had things to do today. She couldn’t get all distracted with a day in bed with Cindy, even if the idea of it was tremendously appealing.

Cindy got in the refrigerator beside her and Lindsay suppressed a laugh as Cindy finished off her first liter and reached for an immediate second just as she had. Focused on the task at hand, and not feeling any need to fill the comfortable silence with unnecessary chatter, Lindsay honed in on the light approach of bare feet on wood before Cindy’s arms slid around her waist and Cindy’s body molded against her back. When Cindy’s head landed softly between her shoulder blades, Lindsay’s eyes closed instantly. It was the trust that was so prevalent in even the most simple of Cindy’s actions, it seemed to Lindsay, that made everything feel so dangerously intense.

“You makin’ me breakfast?” Cindy lazily asked, the sound muffled in the fabric of Lindsay’s shirt.

“Yep,” Lindsay responded. “And dinner. For lunch, you’re on your own.”

“That’s cold,” Cindy murmured. “Lunch is the third most important meal of the day.”

Lindsay laughed and watched as Cindy’s head suddenly poked around her side and a freshly cut strawberry was lost to swift, sneaky fingers. Groaning internally at the loss of contact when Cindy pulled away from her completely, she tried to refocus her attention and not let her gaze follow Cindy’s very enticing figure around the room.

“What’s this?” Cindy asked suddenly a few minutes later.

Lindsay finally turned back around to see Cindy holding the slick silver envelope and scanning the certificate inside from a nearby spa.

“That is where you are going this afternoon.”

“Just me?” Cindy inquired, eyebrows rising over the top of the certificate.

Lindsay confirmed with a nod. “I’ll drop you off and I’ll pick you up.”

“Are you trying to get rid of me, Linds?” Cindy questioned, finally showing the signs of predictable suspicion.

“Only for a few hours,” Lindsay answered slyly.

Cindy didn’t ask any more questions. Eyes glimmering with curiosity, she simply raised her water bottle to her lips and took another drink, but Lindsay could still see the telltale traces of a smile.